The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) invites members of the public to join them in discussions about the management of mule deer and their habitat in the Jackson and Pinedale regions. Since 2010, the WGFD has worked collaboratively with the public to develop the Wyoming Range Mule Deer Initiative, a long term management plan which outlined a number of actions to benefit mule deer and their habitat. With that plan now well underway, the WGFD has expanded that effort to include the adjacent Sublette mule deer herd, which basically encompasses the west slope of the Wind River Range and west to the Wyoming Range.

As in the past, these public meetings will involve presentations focusing on three major themes that emerged in the making of the Wyoming Range Mule Deer Initiative: 1) Habitat Management, 2) Population Management, and 3) Research. Local experts on each topic will present what is currently being done and what is planned for the future. In addition, local Game and Fish personnel responsible for management of the Wyoming Range and Sublette mule deer herds will be recapping the 2017 hunting seasons.

There will be opportunity for the public to provide their comments on these topics or other aspects pertaining to the management of these two mule deer herds. One of the main thrusts of Wyoming’s Mule Deer Initiative is to maintain an ongoing, open dialogue with those interested in mule deer management in the state.

The Wyoming Range Mule Deer Initiative was approved by the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission in 2010. The plan was designed to be a working document that could be amended if priorities should change or new opportunities arise to benefit the mule deer herd.

The initial public involvement process to develop the WRMDI involved several rounds of meetings that were well received by the public. The resulting Wyoming Range Mule Deer Management Plan was the first herd-specific plan developed under the auspices of the statewide Wyoming Mule Deer Initiative. Several other similar planning efforts have since been initiated with the public for other mule deer herds in the state.

The Wyoming Mule Deer Initiative is a statewide framework designed to address declining mule deer populations, particularly over the last two decades. These declines are not unique to Wyoming, but have been seen throughout the West.